4 ways to run your way to weight loss

Running can help you lose weight, but not in the way you think.Does swimming burn calories? In fact, you could find yourself gaining weight if you over fuel your runs.“Most people overestimate the calories they burn on a run,” says Angela Rubin, USAT Level I triathlon coach and studio manager of Precision Running Lab at Equinox in Boston. So if you run two or three miles, you’ll burn about 200 to 300 calories—a solid workout.Problem is, lots of people add a 400 calorie brownie or extra slice of pizza to their diet because they “earned it.” While we’re all for treating yourself, the reality is that you need to create an overall calorie deficit if you want to lose weight.“Weight loss is about creating a caloric imbalance, where you’re using slightly more calories than you’re consuming, say 200 calories per day,” O’Connor says. “Work your way up by running regularly (see: the three times a week we mentioned above), and it should start to feel more natural over a month.” Before you know it, weight loss may even become an afterthought, too.Like this article?